Massaging device



y 935. cv H. FOSTER 2,001,871

' 'MASSAGING DEVICE Filed June 29. 1931 5' J x I u 6 7 7 7 w. f z

Patented May 21, 1935" 1 Claim.

This invention relates to massaging devices, and more particularly tomachines for massaging, rubbing, or manipulating the scalp of the humanhead, an instance of such machine being shown in the patent to R. H.Hassler, No. 1,710,-

643, dated April 23, 1929 It is the object of the present invention toimprove machines of the character shown and described in the said patentby so constructing the massaging pads-or applicators as to enable themto be conveniently and quickly applied to and removed from the arms orhandles of the machine to which they are applied; also to reduce thecost of manufacture of such pads or applicators. 7

One of the great advantagesof constructing the massaging devices orapplicators in the manner referred to and explained at greater lengthherein is that it enables different members of a family to use a singlemassage machine, but with as many sets of massaging pads as there areindividual users of the machine; and this facility for enabling the useof separate massaging devices or pads by each individual may befacilitated by making each set of pads or applicators of a colordiffering from every other set.

I accomplish the foregoing objects in and through the construction andarrangement of parts shown in the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 n is a planview of a massaging machine of the character shown in the aforesaidpatent but having my special massaging pads or applicators appliedthereto; and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation of one of my massaging pads,showing the man- 35 ner in which it is mounted for rotary movement upona stud secured to an arm of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, I denotes acentral housing having there- 40 within mechanism (not shown) connectedto and operable by handles 2 for reciprocating opposed pairs ofmassaging pads 3-3 and 4-4, which are carried by opposed and connectedarms 5 each having a sleeve 6 by which the pairs of arms are slidablymounted on guide bars 1 projecting from the housing I.

The connections whereby the movement of the handles 2- 2 toward and fromeach other causes the massaging pads to operate upon the 50 scalp formno part of the invention herein, such connections being preferablyidentical with the parts shown in the aforesaid Patent 1,710,643.

Each arm 5 is connected to one of the massaging pads by means of a stud8 having a tapered portion 8 which is drawn into a tapered seat 5 in thearm by means of a nut 9 which is threaded on the reduced threaded end 8of the stud which projects through and above the arm 5. The lower end ofeach stud is formed into a ball 8. This ball enters a socket 3 which isformed in 5 the central portion of the body of the back of the massagepad 3. Each of the massage pads is formed of soft rubber having an outercircumierential rim 3 The bottom of each of these devices is upwardlyconcave, as shown at 3, and 10 is provided with integral massagingfingers 3' depending from the concave base thereof, the fingers being ofsubstantially the same length to enable them to conform to the humanscalp.

It will be noted that the back 3 of each massaging pad is considerablythickened, the thickness increasing from the rim 3 to the center of theback, thus affording ample strength and reinforcement for the socket 3whereby a ball 8 will be retained in said socket during the operation ofthe massaging machine. The massaging pads, being made of comparativelysoft rubber, the balls 8 may be easily inserted into their respectivesockets, but will be retained therein during the movements of themassaging pads toward and from each other as they are operated by thehandles 2. When it is desired to remove one set of pads, this operationmay be readily and conveniently effected, owing to the resiliency of thematerial constituting the wall of the socket and the comparativethinness of the upper portion 3 of each socket.

A further advantage of my invention over the massaging pads heretoforein use is that each pad may be made complete, including the socket 85 3by a single molding operation;

A still further and important advantage which the massaging pads made inaccordance with my invention possess over those employing a metal plateas part of the means for securing the ball in place in its socket isthat, by making the entire back of the pad of yieldable material, suchas soft rubber, all of the fingers may be maintained in contact with thescalp during the movements of the pads; this being due to theflexibility of the back of the pad in which the ball is mounted. It willbe noted that the concavity of the lower surface of the pad iscomparatively shallow. This enables the ends of all of the fingers tocontact with the portion of the scalp having the greatest convexitywithout the application of any material pressure to the center of thepad. When operating upon a portion of the scalp possessing practicallyno con-' vexity, the shallowness of the concavity enables 56 the ends ofall of the fingers to be brought into contact with such portion of thescalp without the exertion of undue pressure upon the pad, such as wouldstall the motor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A massaging pad consisting of a unitary body of resilient materialhaving a peripheral rim and having a. shallow upwardly concave lowersurface within said rim and provided with integral fingers projectingfrom such lower surface, the back of the said pad being thickened fromthe rim toward the central portion thereof and provided within thecentral portion with a spherical socket adapted to receive and toremovably retain therein the spherical end portion of a supporting stud,the upper portion of such socket being relatively thin to facilitate theinsertion thereinto and removal therefrom of the spherical portion ofsaid stud.

CLAUD H. FOSTER.

